New Delhi: The Lion Capital of Ashoka is an undying legacy of the Mauryan Empire and its great ruler Ashoka in Sarnath. It was built in 250 and has four life-sized lions set back to back on an abacus which is shaped like a drum. There are wheels in relief on the side of the abacus and four animals intersperse them. Those four animals are a bull, a lion, an elephant, and a galloping horse. There is also a bell-shaped lotus and the structure was made from a single block of sandstone and highly polished. Ashoka erected it after converting to Buddhism, and it commemorates the site where Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon around 200 years ago.
The lost and found Lion Capital of Ashoka
The Lion Capital of Ashoka fell to the ground and was buried for a long time, away from the sight of common people. In the early 20th century, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated it. The column was broken before the entire structure was buried. Today, it is in Sarnath, the original location under protection but can be seen by visitors. Today, the Capital is in much better condition but it was not undamaged when it was first found. It had a crack across the neck just above the lotus, and there was damage in the heads of two of the lions. One can see it in the Sarnath Museum, the ASI’s oldest museum.
A structure rich in symbolism
Notably, the Lion Capital is one of the foremost significant stone sculptures which appeared in South Asia following the decline of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Their sudden appearance and also similarities have led some to conjecture that Iranian stonemasons migrated eastwards and they followed the tradition of naturalistic carving. Others have opined that India had a history of erecting columns in copper and word and the transition to stone took place as a natural progression. Both in terms of Buddhist and secular viewpoints, the lion capital is rich in symbolism. Notably, the wheel on the abacus was the model for the wheel in the centre of India’s national flag, the Tricolour.
The Lion Capital of Ashoka is an undying legacy of the Mauryan Empire and its great ruler Ashoka in Sarnath. Notably, it is related to the national flag of India, the Tricolour. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
